Blank feeding and flexing mechanism



BLANK FEEDING AND FLEXING MECHANISM Filed April 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Q g INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY.

Nov. 10, 1942. A. M. CAMERON BLANK FEEDING AND FLEXING MECHANISM FiledApril 6, 1940 2 SheetsSheet 2 E A 441v m1 Q. m m H m e m :l |l NW 6. I,I mm Q. N. i Q MN M F5 I H m J 1%.]... w kw Q |m-1!Ii!l!|-|, I I II QN1! xx Kill mm m II .9] -IT 1! .II 5 w fi 11E I I I I l 1 l l I I I: L kI 1 W, W NW @N 9% %N g N nmlll Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED. STATESPAIEN'IZ OTEEICE 2,301,681

BLANKFEEDINGAND FLEXING MECHANISM Allan Cameron, Chicago, Ill., assignorto Cameron Can' Machinery 00., Chicago-{Ill a corporation of IllinoisApplication. min 6, 1940, Serial l\lo.l3,28,181

2 Claims (o1. 152 541:

This invention relates in general to mechanisms for feeding and flexingmetal blanks, such,

for instance, as tin plate blanks which are customarily employed inmaking the bodies of tin cans.

In order that the bodies may betruly circular in form when produced fromblanks bya body making machine, the blanks, inaccordancewith modernpractice, are flexed in opposite directions so as to break the grain ofthe metal and render the blanks pliant so that they will bend into trulycircular form, therebyobviating fiats. in the formed bodies. 7

One of the purposes of my presentinvention is to provide a grainbreaking or blankilexing mechanism which will be simple in constructionand consistof a minimum number of parts so that it will be economical toproduce and oper-- ate, and at the same time Willbe reliabl-e in op-;

eration.

Another feature of my invention resides in the simplicity of itsconstruction, which enables it to be mounted on the frame ofthe machineand located between the magazine and'body maker so that the blanks maybe fed in a right line from the magazine through the flexing mechanisminto the body maker withoutchange of direction.

Other advantageous features are inherent in the ready adjustability ofthe flexing mechanism i the machine frame amagazine adapted to conand inthe safety stop which automaticallystops v the machine in the event ofthe simultaneous delivery to the flexing mechanism of more than oneblank.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated on theaccompanying drawings from which its structure, operation and advantagesshould be readily apparent.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view through Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, reference character 5indicates generally. the

frame work of the front or receiving end of a body maker. The framecarries a table upon which the. blanks are delivered at one side by theflexing mechanism, the table comprising the removable Wear plate 6 nextto the flexing mechanism and the other supporting portions 1 and tain asupply of blanks and comprising a base I 4 and uprights l5 between whichthe blanks are disposed. The lowermost blanks are supported in themagaz'ine in the manner'illustrated by shoulders l6 and I! in thecustomary manner, and the bottom blank is flexed andpulled downwardlybetween the shoulders and deposited upon the base 14 by one or morereciprocating suction devices l8 in a manner common in this art. Atransver sely reciprocating feed dog l9 advances the blank resting uponthe base plate M toward the .left viewing "Fig. 1 into the bight of therolls of the flexing mechanism.

The flexing mechanism per se comprises a pair of uprights 2|. and 22supported upon. the machine frame or from the magazine and havingdisposed between them apair of flexing rolls 23 and 24, respectively.The lower roll23, which isof uniform diameter from end to end, isjournailed in roller bearings 25 and 26in the uprights and is heldagainst endwise displacement by. bolts and washers 21 and 28 at eachend.

The upper roll 24 is hollow and rotatably supported by roller bearings29 and 3| .upon a stationary shaft or rod 32 extending between theuprights. The shaft 32. is carried in vertical reciprocable blocks '33and 34.yieldingly urged downwardly to press-the roll 24 toward roll 23by springsti and 36, the tension of which may be regulated by adjustingscrews 31 and 38.

It will beobserved from Fig. 3 that roll E4 is relieved, or, in otherwords, is made of reduced diameter intermediate its ends leaving endportions 39-.and 4| of slightly larger diameter toengage the roll 23.The reduced orworking portion for the roll 24 is, consequently, spacedfrom. the roll 23 a distancesom-ewhat less than ,the thickness of theblanks to be operated upon,

thereby facilitating the entrance of the leading ends. of the blanksinto the bight of the rolls. This. insuresthat. the blanks will beimmediately caught between the rolls and fed forwardly 8 over, which isdisposed ahold down plate} without delay and obviates the necessity ofindependent spacing means or adjusting devices for spacing the rollsapart.

Rearwardly of the roll 24 there is positioned for vertical adjustment aguard or guide 42 having a curved lower end portion 43 disposed slightlyabove the bight of the rolls 23 and 24 so as to permit direct entranceof the forward end of blank I lbeneath this guide into the bight of therolls, Forwardly of the roll 24 there is mounted for vertical adjustmentupon a bolt or bolts 44 a guard or guide 45 curved to present its lowerend 46 rearwardly of and slightly below the bight of the rolls.

The bearing blocks 33 and 34 are rigidly connected by an integral crossmember 41 which carries intermediate its ends a vertically adjustablerod 48 aligned with a finger 49 projecting from a switch of anypreferred type. This switch is adapted to be actuated by thexrod 48,

to shut off the driving motor for the mechanism in the event that twovblanks instead of one should accidentally be fed between the rolls. Theaverage blank being operated upon is approximately of an inch thick. Theclearance between the working portions of rolls 23 and 24 isapproximately "A of an inch so that each time a single blank passesbetween the rolls, the bearing block of roll 24, and, consequently, therod 48 are elevated about of an inch. The rod 48 is so adjusted thatthis normal movement of the rod will not actuate the switch 5|. In theevent, however, that two blanks should be simultaneously fed between therolls, the upper roll 24 will rise approximately 7 of an inch, which issuflicient to cause the actuation of switch 5| by the rod 48, therebystopping the machine to permit rectification of the error before anydamage to the body maker has been caused.

R011 24 is provided at one end with gear teeth 52 meshing with companionteeth 53 on roll 23 so that these rolls rotate in opposite directions.Roll 23 is driven through a pinion 54 meshing with the teeth 53 and witha gear 55 which may be driven through a belt or chain 56, which in turnis driven by a motor, the supply circuit of which is controlled by theswitch 5!.

The mechanism embodying my invention operates in the following manner: r

The lowermost blank II in the' magazine is deposited upon the magazinebase l4 by pneumatic suction cups I8 and is then moved to the leftviewing Fig; 1 by the feed dog' If! beneath the lower end 43 of guard 42into the bight of the rolls 23 and 24.

It will be observed that roll 24 is laterally offset with respect toroll 23, that is; theaxis of roll 24 is positioned rearwardly of avertical plane coincident with the axis of the roll 23. The resultisthat when the forward edge of a blank is delivered from between therolls, it is directed downwardly against the upper surface of plate fiby which it is'defleoted horizontally, thus bringing the blank intoengagement with the end 46 of guide45'., The offset position'of therolls causes the portion of the blank resting upon the base plate l4 tobe elevated against the lower edgeof guide 42, as illustrated in Fig. 2.From this figure, it will be apparent that as the blank is fed throughthe flexing mechanism, the rolls, because of their offset relation, flexthe blank downwardly, and thereafter as the blank travels along theplate 6', it is flexed in the opposite direction by the cooperativeaction of the plate and the end 46 of guide 45. In this manner therolls, by reason of their ofiset relation and in conjunction with theguides 42 and 45 and the plate 6, produce a fiexation of each blank,first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, suflicientlyto break the grain of the metal and render the blank pliant so that itwill form a truly circular can body devoid of objectionable flats. Thedegree of ,flexation may be varied as desired by vertical adjustmentwhich comprises a pair of rolls having parallel axes and providing abight between said rolls through which said sheet material is advancedfrom a feed side to a discharge side of said rolls, a guide member forsaid sheet material positioned closely adjacent one of said rolls on thefeed side of said rolls and having a converging portion extending, intothe space between said rolls and terminating in a reduced end directedtoward and closely adjacent saidbight, said end having a guiding surfacedirected toward said other roll and contacting said sheet material toforce the same toward said other roll out of a plane passing throughsaid bight and tangent to said rolls so as to flex said sheet materialin one direction about said other roll, a second guide member for saidsheet material positioned closely adjacent said one roll on thedischarge side of said rolls and having a converging portion extendinginto the space between said rolls and terminating in a reduced enddirected toward and closely adjacent said bight, said end of said secondguide member having a guiding surface directed towards said other roll,and a plate extending from a position adjacent said other roll on thedischarge side thereof away from said otherroll past said end of saidsecond guide member and across the path of the sheet material dischargedfrom said rolls at an angle to said path for flexing said sheet materialin the opposite direction about said guiding surface on said secondguide member.

2. A mechanism for flexing sheet material, which comprises, an upperroll and a lower roll, having horizontal roll axes and providing a bightbetween said rolls through which said sheet material is advanced from afeed side to a discharge side of said rolls, said upper roll beingoffset relative to said lower rolltoward the discharge side of saidrolls,,a horizontal table on the feed side of said rolls substantiallylevel; with said bight from which said sheet material is fed, a guidemember for said sheet material extending downwardly closely adjacentsaidupper roll on the feed sideof said rolls and havinga curved converginportion extending into the space between said rolls and terminating in areduced end directed toward and closely adjacent said bight, saidendhaving a guiding surface directed downwardly toward said lower roll andcontacting said sheet material to force the same toward said table andlower roll out of a plane passing through said bight and tangent to saidrolls soas to flex said on the discharge side of said rolls and having acurved converging portion extending into the space between said rollsand terminating in a reduced end directed toward and closely adjacentsaid bight, said end of said second guide member having a guidingsurface directed toward said lower roll, and a horizontal tablepositioning lower than said first mentioned table-extending from aposition adjacent said lower roll on the discharge side thereof awayfrom said lower roll past said end of said second guide member andacross the path of the sheet material discharged from said rolls at anangle to said path for flexing said sheet material in the oppositedirection about said guiding surface on said second guide member.

ALLAN M. CAMERON.

